20 Foods That Can Cause Heartburn

While avocados are generally a healthy fat food, when it comes to heartburn, they’re not too great.

Avocado toast is a perfect breakfast food, but while healthy, the avocado can slow down the digestive process, which keeps food in your stomach longer. 

Nuts like pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, and walnuts are delicious and have great nutritional benefits, but there's a downside.

They're legumes that are particularly high in fat, which makes them potential cause of heartburn.

Mac and Cheese is a delicious double threat. The pasta is made with enriched white flour that can exacerbate acid reflux symptoms.

To make matters worse, it’s covered in cheese which can also cause reflux issues all on its own.

The high acidity in fruit juice can loosen the esophageal sphincter in some people and cause heartburn.

This is especially true since juice is typically drunk at breakfast, when the stomach is empty—which can exacerbate its effects.

Mint or peppermint are known to settle upset stomachs but stay away from it if you have acid reflux issues.

The numbing effect can relax the esophageal sphincter, which allows the acid to flow into the throat.

Research has found that when you eat chocolate, your brain increases its production of serotonin, the chemical responsible for those good feelings.

However, it’s now believed that this increase in serotonin relaxes the esophageal sphincter, which allows stomach acid to travel up into the esophagus and cause heartburn.

Spicy or hot foods don’t help acid reflux. Some spices can irritate the stomach lining, like chili peppers.

Many spicy foods contain capsaicin, which can produce a burning sensation on tissue, which only exacerbates acid reflux symptoms.

Candy is nothing but sugar, which is one of the worst culprits of acid reflux.

Candy may also contain preservatives that can also increase the acidity, making it a seriously bad food for acid reflux sufferers.

It may seem normal to top your salad or burger with raw onion, but if you have acid reflux, you should stay away from this vegetable.

Raw onions can increase the number of reflux episodes as well as the frequency of belches you may experience.

While a glass of wine here and there probably won’t aggravate your heartburn, regular drinking, especially when combined with other heartburn-causing foods, can spell trouble.

Like the other items on this list, alcohol has the potential to relax your esophageal sphincter, which allows stomach acid to move upward.

Foods are not the only potential source of acid reflux. Beverages high in caffeine, such as coffee, can also cause the condition.

As with fat, caffeine can loosen the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus.

Your favorite drink may be bad for your acid reflux disease, especially if you like soda. Anything carbonated is awful for acid reflux.

In this case, surprisingly, isn’t so much about the ingredients of the carbonated beverage as much as it is about the carbonation. 

Dairy products, especially milk, cheese, and ice cream, are also common causes of heartburn.

Frequently high in fat, foods like these can cause the esophageal sphincter to relax and acid to leak into the esophagus.

Tomatoes are incredibly acidic, even if they aren’t cooked. A raw tomato can cause just as much trouble as one prepared in a sauce or grilled.

It’s best to stay away from this food altogether. It can trigger reflux and worsen symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD).

Black pepper can increase the amounts of acid in the esophagus which can then lead to more indigestion and heartburn.

If you need a replacement for pepper in your meals, we’ve heard papaya seeds taste like a blend of pepper and mustard.

Pizza is the perfect storm when it comes to heartburn. The high acidity of the tomatoes in the sauce, combined with spiced meats like pepperoni can make for a painful meal for heartburn sufferers.

If you can’t bear to part with your favorite Italian dish, consider making them with less sauce and meat-free.

While the salad is good for you—the dressing? Not so much.

Most of the time, salad dressings are made up of mostly fats and acidic ingredients which, in turn, can cause your stomach to create more stomach acid.

Burger, fries, onion rings—it doesn’t really matter. When it comes to fast food, chances are it’s full of fat. Unfortunately, high-fat foods are some of the worst offenders when it comes to heartburn.

This greasy grub digests slowly and requires your stomach to produce more acid to get the job done. This extra stomach acid has the potential to leak back into your stomach, especially because fatty foods also relax your esophageal sphincter.

Butter is nothing but fat. Naturally, this can make acid reflux so much worse, especially if you’re frying foods in it.

In addition, butter adds unwanted calories to your meal and can cause serious acid reflux symptoms later.

Although garlic is usually on the “healthy” list of foods to eat, when it comes to heartburn, you may want to avoid it like a vampire.

The acid contained in garlic causes irritation and inflammation of the lining of the esophagus.